Jian Xi covered her face with her hands at the time, unable to bear watching the gossip-hungry Emperor. Whether they slept together or not, aside from the parties involved, how could anyone else know?

Now it could be considered a happy ending.

Tie Ci felt this was truly a wonderful gift.

They were sure to have a uniquely beautiful love story.

Tie Ci immediately ordered Jian Xi to prepare congratulatory gifts properly and asked Qi Yuansi to send a portrait of the girl next time for her to see.

Because Qi Yuansi had written to apologize, saying that when he was surveying terrain last time and entered a certain area in the northwest corner of the desert, the pocket watch she had bestowed upon him suddenly started spinning wildly and broke after he came out. Tie Ci specially ordered Jian Xi to add another watch.

Thinking of this girl reminded her of Huyin. Last time Dan Ye had written saying Huyin was also overseeing the construction of an academy and sending people to Great Qian to study. After they returned, her academy would also recruit students. She had built the most exquisite principal’s study, always ready to successfully poach talent and keep them in a golden house.

Tie Ci felt conflicted inside.

Emotionally, she sincerely wished her success.

Realistically, she didn’t want her future cabinet ministers to benefit Western Rong.

Suddenly she heard meowing sounds. At first she thought it was Xue Tuan’er, but the voice didn’t quite sound right. Then Xue Tuan’s voice rang out, sounding rather miserable.

Little Bug’s voice followed, “Oh dear, oh dear, why are you fighting again! Don’t bully my Xue Tuan!”

A white flash, and Xue Tuan burst out from behind the curtain. The former tyrant of Ruixiang Hall saw Tie Ci and pounced over, meowing loudly as if tattling.

Little Bug then entered carrying two cats by their scruffs, one in each hand. Seeing Tie Ci, she quickly bowed and smiled, “Your Majesty, it’s the new cats being naughty, ganging up on Xue Tuan’er.”

Then the curtain swayed, and a cat walked in with the stride of a dragon and tiger, silent and stealthy, its eyes sharp and expression cold as it glanced at Tie Ci.

Tie Ci: “…Rong Yi?”

Looking again at the two Little Bug was carrying, “Rong Rong? Yi Yi?”

They’d all grown into big cats; she couldn’t recognize them.

Jian Xi smiled, “Sent by Director Shen. He says the three cats eat more and more, he can’t afford to keep them anymore, and requests Your Majesty’s permission to return the cats to their original owner.”

Tie Ci was silent for a long moment, then said quietly, “Is he hinting that the salary I give him is too low?”

Jian Xi: “…”

Tie Ci beckoned to Rong Yi, “Come here, little Yi Yi.”

For some reason, Jian Xi suddenly felt that “little Yi Yi” sounded rather strange when His Majesty said it.

Rong Yi crouched on the ground, gazing down with disdain.

Then it was scooped into Tie Ci’s arms and petted until cat fur flew everywhere.

At first Rong Yi hissed at Tie Ci, but after hissing twice and seeing Xue Tuan’er desperately trying to burrow into Tie Ci’s arms, it stopped hissing and extended a paw to kick Xue Tuan’er off Tie Ci’s knee.

Tie Ci didn’t mind, but Jian Xi watched in disbelief, eyes wide.

Had this cat become a spirit?

…

Looking through the gifts one by one, Jian Xi gradually felt both envious and delighted.

His Majesty had paid an enormous price to reach today, but had indeed gained countless close friends.

His Majesty’s charm knew no bounds.

After all, not everyone could turn all their admirers and suitors into loyal subjects.

Though some of them His Majesty didn’t even know were admirers.

Jian Xi picked up another bag. Opening it released a rich aroma. “Sent by Deputy General Tian. He says the beef jerky research was successful. He tried many formulas and finally selected these three flavors. Instant noodles are also ready—the first batch is braised beef flavor. Since he’s going to Yong Ping anyway, he’ll bring some as military rations. He’s sent some for Your Majesty to taste first and requests Your Majesty to bestow a name.”

Tie Ci said with satisfaction, “Now when I’m hungry at night, I won’t need to disturb the kitchen. Since braised beef noodles are the main product, let’s call them Master Tian Instant Noodles.”

As a child, she had eaten Master Kong instant noodles in braised beef flavor and found them amazing. But her master said they were junk food and wouldn’t let her eat much.

Now she could eat to her heart’s content—soak one pack, cook one pack, and eat another pack dry.

Jian Xi immediately wrote down this name to send out, also praising it as easy to remember, showing greatness in small things, intimate and simple.

Anyway, in Officer Jian’s eyes, everything about His Majesty was good, and if anything wasn’t good enough, it was just His Majesty being modest.

Tie Ci was in rare good spirits. She ordered water brought and personally prepared instant noodles. She and Jian Xi each held a steaming bowl before looking toward the last box.

That unremarkable box, placed last among all the layered gifts, seemed forgotten by Jian Xi, and Tie Ci appeared not to have noticed it at all. But both had tacitly waited until deep into the night, until all other gifts had been viewed, before slowly opening it.

Tie Ci slurped noodles with one hand while carefully moving the box farther away with the other before opening the lid.

Inside were also several volumes of books, but clearly not rare editions.

Blue background with black text, similar binding to the pirated editions of volumes seven, eight, and nine of “The Compassionate Heart Chronicles.”

By custom, Jian Xi should check everything first, but this time she didn’t reach out first—Tie Ci picked them up herself.

Both had already seen the cover.

“Daily Records of Emperor Chongjiu.”

Having followed Tie Ci for so long, Jian Xi knew that Great Feng emperor was unconventional, but seeing this brazen cover still gave her a headache.

Daily records were secret histories recording imperial words and deeds, specifically for future compilation of national histories and imperial biographies. They were always kept deep in the imperial archives, never disclosed. No one had ever seen an emperor, while still alive, give his own daily records as a gift to an enemy nation’s emperor.

Three volumes total, with the covers clearly marked one, two, three.

What, was this planned as a serial?

Tie Ci slurped her instant noodles while casually opening to a page.

It read: “In the seventh month of the first year of Chongjiu, the Dowager Consort invited unmarried daughters of officials third rank and above in the capital to appreciate lotus flowers in the imperial garden. After concluding state business, His Majesty proceeded directly there…”

Tie Ci’s gaze lingered on “proceeded directly there” and said, “Great Feng’s recorder of daily records is talented—with just a few characters, he vividly portrayed their emperor’s lustful urgency.”

Jian Xi: “…”

No, how did you see lustful urgency in that?

This servant thinks your comment vividly portrays something else entirely.

The recorder was apparently fond of showing off literary skills, then went on to describe the beauty of various young ladies at length, emphasizing the dignified and composed bearing of Tong Zhengshi’s daughter Xi Yun that could make her suitable as mother of the nation, and County Magistrate’s daughter Shi Xiaoci’s appearance as “gentle and noble, strikingly resembling His Majesty’s former acquaintance.”

Tie Ci raised an eyebrow.

She knew he held selection events, but didn’t know about this twist.

What era was this, still doing substitute plots?

Below was a large passage, but it had been viciously crossed out with ink.

Jian Xi was daydreaming again.

Daily records held extraordinary significance—she’d never heard of any being alterable.

Hadn’t there been legends of emperors wanting to change daily records, but the recording officials preferring death to alteration, so the emperors had to give up?

Tie Ci understood her expression and smiled.

Other emperors couldn’t change them, but Murong Yi certainly could.

If threats of death couldn’t pressure the recording officials, what about their families? Their nine generations of relatives?

There was no authority in this world that couldn’t suppress people.

The large section below was all altered. She turned the page.

From this page on, the handwriting changed—elegant and forceful, full of murderous intent.

It was unmistakably someone’s handwriting.

That someone wrote: “This sour scholar is long-winded and ill-intentioned, every sentence trying to slander me. So I’ve taken back these daily records. From now on this is my personal novel. I write, you read—this will make you convinced and recognize my literary talent.”

Tie Ci quickly turned her head aside to avoid spraying noodles on the precious daily records.

Jian Xi had already moved away with her noodles.

“The lotus appreciation banquet did happen, I did go look, then I threw that Shi Xiaoci into the water, and Precious Dowager Consort too. The weather was dry, so I helped them cool down.”

“I did ask Xi Yun if she wanted to be empress, but only to test her character. The empress position—in this lifetime, except for you, no one else should think about it.”

“If you don’t want it either, then I can be your empress.”

Tie Ci: “…”

How beautifully you dream.

Next, Murong Yi was quite proper, detailing his governing policies, management of ministers, pacification of people, various institutions established, and daily eating, drinking, and sleeping in minute detail.

He even had to babble about going to the toilet seven times on a certain day when his stomach was upset.

But Tie Ci’s attention focused on his governing style, and she gradually frowned.

Like those old ministers of Great Feng, she found it unreasonable, contradictory and incomprehensible.

Murong Yi cherished the people but treated ministers harshly, even killing generals. Why did he do this?

Throughout history, all emperors placed greater emphasis on the aristocratic class, because they were the foundation of imperial governance. They controlled most resources and were the group emperors truly relied upon.

Countless emperors, to maintain their rule, made concessions to aristocrats and were even constrained by them.

Only Murong Yi went against this.

Why?

Tie Ci felt vaguely uneasy. She signaled Jian Xi to come look.

After Jian Xi finished reading, she also looked shocked. Tie Ci asked her, “What do you think?”

Jian Xi thought for a long time, then said softly, “Great Feng’s emperor has always had strange thoughts, difficult for ordinary people to fathom. This servant only wonders if he wants to accomplish something, so all his governance is directed toward that goal.”

Tie Ci’s heart skipped a beat.

By now she had reached the third volume, which mentioned the recent incident of ministers colluding with the Dowager Consort to force abdication. This was the first time Tie Ci saw the detailed beginning and end of this event from Murong Yi’s perspective.

She also had Jian Xi read it. After reading, Jian Xi was even more bewildered, saying, “This servant truly doesn’t understand Great Feng emperor’s treatment of his subjects.”

Very unreasonable.

Those who agreed to surrender were killed first.

The two upright loyal ministers, Imperial Censor and Grand Minister of Works, who bore him no murderous intent, received the heaviest punishment, imprisoned in the most terrible dungeon.

Since it was treason, killing them all together would be justified. Why throw out bait to handle the ministers separately?

Hearing Jian Xi’s questions, Tie Ci pondered for a moment and said, “He’s testing people’s hearts.”

Jian Xi understood.

Using the bait of “first to come forward lives, last to come forward has nine generations executed” to observe the ministers’ reactions, thereby judging the character and integrity of these important officials.

“But why do this? Doesn’t he want to kill those who dared commit treason? He’s clearly so…”

Jian Xi swallowed back the word “tyrannical.”

“Right, he doesn’t want to kill. At least not kill them all together, so he tested them into different categories for separate treatment.”

“Why?”

Yes, why?

Combined with previous circumstances, Tie Ci vaguely had an idea, but didn’t dare believe it.

Was it really like this?

Murong Yi, with things having reached this point, having suffered such damage, were you still working hard for that original oath?

Exhausting your mind and efforts, using every means, not hesitating to bear infamy, not hesitating to place yourself in danger?

Were you even paving the way for what comes after?

How dare I believe this, yet how dare I not speculate?

Holding the daily records, she froze in the winter night wind coming through the curtains, not even noticing Rong Yi kneading on her leg.

Jian Xi watched her with some unease.

On His Majesty’s face, she saw extremely complex emotions—shock, emotion, disbelief, pity, heartache… rolling like tides across her brow. The night wind scattered her hair, her fingertips pressed against her cheek pale as snow.

Like a goddess statue suddenly awakened in time’s torrent, yet made dazed by the inconceivable changes of seas becoming mulberry fields.

After a long time, she heard His Majesty’s voice, light and dreamlike: “Jian Xi, we should also do some things.”

Jian Xi immediately said, “Please give your orders, Your Majesty.”

Tie Ci seemed to just wake up, looked at her and smiled, “No need to be too urgent, let’s proceed gradually. Jian Xi, you’ve always been in charge of communications with various places in the capital. Later I’ll give you an outline. You also compile a story, carefully match it with good words and books, then give it to courtesans and literary societies everywhere to sing and spread. Also, promote Mirror-Breaking City more, select some scholars who’ve been to Liaodong to write interesting books about Liaodong. And the fact that I sent people to kill Great Feng emperor’s mother consort and avenged the Late Emperor—this matter can also be spread further throughout the realm.”

Jian Xi accepted the orders. Seeing Tie Ci seemed distracted, fearing her heavy thoughts might harm her health, she changed the subject: “This servant has recently been frequently invited by the Grand Tutor to lecture at Great Qian Academy.”

This was also something Tie Ci had agreed to, to broaden horizons and create some presence for the imperial family.

“How is it?” Tie Ci put away the books and asked with renewed spirit.

“The students all greatly respect the Grand Tutor. Every day students come seeking the Grand Tutor’s guidance. Many societies have formed in the academy with many strange names—Freedom Society, Progress Society, Youth Strength Society, Old Face New Look Society…”

Tie Ci looked up at her.

“Are you popular at the academy?”

Jian Xi hesitated for a while, then said, “I was popular at first, but gradually fewer people attended my lectures. Probably the poetry, books, and government affairs I discussed didn’t suit their interests.”

“Then what does suit their interests?”

“Once when I went to the academy, I saw the president of Progress Society giving a speech, saying things like ‘current accumulated problems await reform, treating serious illness requires strong medicine, we educated men should not spare our lives for the common people’… The students below were very excited.” Jian Xi said, “Oh, Sister Dan Shuang was also in the audience then. I heard she joined Progress Society and is even vice president.”

Tie Ci’s hand paused. “Is that so?”

She set aside her unfinished instant noodles.

Jian Xi watched her expression and said softly, “Your Majesty, after spring begins, it will be time for the spring examinations…”